The use of secondary resources contributes to maintaining the primary resources. BTE company De Hamer produces paving with the addition of FORZ. FORZ is a resource formed from the reprocessing and cleaning of bottom ash. Bottom ash is a material residue in the incineration of common waste. De Hamer uses FORZ as a resource in the concrete sublayer of paving materials. De Hamer replaces part of the sand and gravel with this.
FORZ is a Van Gansewinkel Minerals (VGM) brand. De Hamer and VGM found each other through a joint vision to contribute as companies to making society more sustainable. Making AEC bottom ash suitable as a replacement for sand and gravel in De Hamer's concrete products was formulated by the companies as a research objective four years ago. Eventually, it resulted in implementing the joint sustainability vision and in the end product FORZ.
Successful together
Application and further development of FORZ in De Hamer's products was a joint project in which all required steps - from the lab phase to practical testing - have been taken. By executing the project together with ASCEM (BTE's knowledge and research institute), the knowledge of all companies has been bundled efficiently, which guaranteed the achieved success. The development project was completed with a number of production runs that showed that De Hamer can produce concrete products with FORZ. In terms of strength and leaching, these products meet the standards; FORZ is KOMO and BSB certified.
Opening renewed FORZ Factory
On Friday 23 September 2016, the renewed FORZ Factory of Van Gansewinkel Minerals opened its doors. The FORZ Factory is the first plant that turns bottom ash from waste power plants into sustainable, high-quality sand and gravel replacements for the concrete industry. With the use of the sustainable resource FORZ, waste recycler Van Gansewinkel Minerals together with, among others, De Hamer, offers a tangible product to Dutch municipalities to make their own infrastructure more sustainable.
At its location in Heumen, De Hamer already produces some paving materials with the alternative resource FORZ. Possibly, this resource will be used in multiple BTE concrete products in the future.
